Content bearing mediums such as digital versatile discs, compact discs, video and audio tape cassettes, preprogrammed electronic memories such as memories of the type used in video game cartridges and the like are commonly used to store and transport relatively large compilations of prerecorded audio, video, and data signals that can be used to record content such as, movies, television programming, software, games, and data compilations. Such content bearing mediums provide an inexpensive and lightweight medium for conveying such large compilations. However, to conserve costs, the producers of content bearing mediums typically prepare such content bearing mediums in large batch processes. Frequently however, it can occur that after production of a batch of such content bearing mediums, it becomes advantageous to change or add to the content that has been recorded thereon.
There are a variety of reasons for which it may become desirable to adjust the content recorded on the content bearing mediums after the content has originally been stored thereon. For example, one popular form of recreational activity is to rent movies that are recorded on videocassettes or DVDs. The producers of such items often incorporate previews of other movies, advertising contest information, and promotions for other products and services onto rented items as a form of advertising. Digital versatile disc players typically present these previews in advance of the presentation of the main attraction. The intent of such presentations is to entice the renters of the currently presented item such as a DVD to rent the previewed attraction or to participate in the promotion. However, it will be appreciated that, as the rented item ages, the usefulness of the previewed presentation of the previewed is reduced. This can occur because the previewed attraction itself, may appear less relevant or less interesting. Accordingly, a valuable advertising opportunity is lost where the previewed attraction portion of the DVD is not up graded.
In particular, an example of the problems with renting aged items from a store, such as a video store, is that information concerning the product or manufacturer is out of date, i.e., ads and coupons have expired, contests have long since completed and movie previews, often referred to as trailers, are often quite old and are for movies the customer has already seen. Such old information is not only an inconvenience for the customer, who may often skip this information entirely, but also inconvenient to store owner who has lost an opportunity for further sales. Further, it is inconvenient for the customer to have to ask about any updated information upon rental or purchase of the video cassette, DVD or video game cartridge, and equally inconvenient for the retail clerk to have to retrieve and printout the information for the customer.
Similarly, it can arise after the content has been batch recorded on a plurality of content bearing mediums, last-minute changes, fixes, alterations, or supplements to the content may become necessary. However, the process for updating such content bearing mediums can be a difficult and expensive process. There are a variety of reasons for this. For example, many forms of content bearing mediums cannot be rewritten or can only be written/rewritten where the content is recorded on a rewritable form of medium. Typically, such rewriteable forms of medium are substantially more expensive than a non-rewriteable form of the same medium. Even where a rewritable medium is used, it can be difficult to incorporate previews having different running times and other characteristics onto a mediums without causing the entire medium to be rewritten which increases the time required to update content and the costs associated with doing so. Further, the characteristics of many types of rewriteable mediums can make it time consuming to rewrite content.
In many circumstances, the need to update content stored on a content bearing medium is not always apparent until after the content bearing medium has been packaged. For example, music, video and computer software content are often recorded on mediums that are packaged in a shrink-wrapped or theft deterrent packaging. At such a time, it becomes extremely expensive to unpackage the content, to rewrite content recorded on such mediums and to repackage the content.
In response to this, many types of software include an automatic update feature that causes the programmable device to automatically search on the Internet to determine whether such updates are necessary and to download these over the Internet where appropriate. A variety conditions can cause this process to fail. Accordingly, it is preferable to associate information from which such changes can be made with the medium before the first retail sale of the same.
Thus what is needed, is a cost-effective method for remotely adjusting for updating content recorded on a content bearing medium and a content bearing medium that is adapted to enable such adjustment.
There have been several attempts to remedy these drawbacks, such as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,187 to Otto, which discloses a system of using an RFID label on a product from another store to develop pricing and promotional information regarding that product for the retailer and provide that information to the purchaser of the product. The system and method of Otto unfortunately provides information that may be desirable to the purchaser after a purchase has been made which is inconvenient for the purchaser who must decide whether to purchase the item (mostly at a reduced cost) and return the previously purchased same item to the place of purchase.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,441 to Woolley et al, which is hereby incorporated by reference, provides an extensive discussion of the use of single and multiple RFID labels on individual or bulk products to control the movement of the individual product or bulk products as well as develop inventory control information of the individual or bulk products. This system while providing extensive information to a product manufacturer, transporter and retailer, does not utilize the RFID labels to store information, such as recent movie trailers or product usage video, coupons, promotions and advertisements which can be given to the customer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,217 to Catan, which is also hereby incorporated by reference, teaches a system and method of attaching RFID labels to receipts, such as movie stubs, which permits the user, at a kiosk, to rate the movie, view the movie maker's website to purchase items, such as a soundtrack, receive discount coupons to future movies or other free gift. The system and method of Catan, like that of Otto, requires the product (movie ticket) to be purchased before use and does not provide the user with the ability to easily view the latest movie trailers for the same movie or other movies.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,577,861 and 6,512,919 to Ogasawara, teach a system and method of bringing product information to a customer while shopping wherein a wireless telephone is used that has a bar code scanner attached thereto. The customer, upon entering the store, dials the store shopping service to receive a wireless download of the shopping program and the begins shopping by scanning the item's bar code label. The completion of the sale of the item is completed at a point of sale terminal using the product information stored in the cellular phone memory. While this service uses a bar code reader system, it does not provide the customer with the ability to be informed about video information available for the product to the customer.
Finally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,613,190, 5,793,413 and 5,630,204 to Hylton, disclose a system and method of delivering user selected video programming to a customer via a wireless transmitter and a plurality of receivers in a customer's home. While this system provide a customer with flexibility with regard to broadcast video programs and movies, the system does not provide the customer to seek viewing information from the product information on an RFID attached to the a video cassette, DVD or video game cartridge.
Therefore, there is still a need for a simpler, cost-effective system, device and method for updating a content bearing medium that can ease or eliminate the shortcomings of the prior art and the problems faced by the customer wishing to view the latest information regarding a product, i.e., movie trailers, product instructional use, promotional items, discount coupons or safety videos.